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Presented by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Our Trading Future campaign: A daily look inside Canadian politics and power. | | | | |  | | By Zi-Ann Lum | | |
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Thanks for reading Ottawa Playbook. I’m your host Zi-Ann Lum with Nick Taylor-Vaisey. Today is the tomorrow Ottawa U.S. midterm watchers were speculating furiously about yesterday. Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE is holding a rare presser far away from pesky Ottawa reporters in the heart of Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighborhood. Plus, a list of Canada’s roughly 335-member COP27 delegation begins to be visible. |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | 
Kathy Hochul celebrates in NYC after beating Republican Lee Zeldin. | Sally Goldenberg/POLITICO | AMERICAN DRAMA — A new season started last night. The Republicans’ drive for the House majority hangs in the balance this morning, as dozens of key battlegrounds remain too close to call. The GOP remain favored to win the House majority, SARAH FERRIS and ALLY MUTNICK report, but it was not the blowout victory that some predicted. Both parties still have a shot at controlling the Senate, but the GOP's path to the majority has narrowed. Some headlines from the evening:
— Fetterman defeats Oz in first Senate seat flip.
— Kemp defeats Abrams to notch second term as Georgia governor.
— Hochul beats Zeldin to be New York’s first elected female governor.
— Whitmer beats back Dixon in Michigan governor’s race.
— DeSantis wins big, with an eye toward 2024. — C’est la vie: Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU did not exactly give a straight answer when asked if he believes a Republican Congress could tame the Biden administration's protectionist impulses. With former U.S. president DONALD TRUMP teasing a “ very big announcement ” next week, Trudeau chose his words carefully on Tuesday during a blustery outdoor news conference in Oromocto, New Brunswick. “We have worked through very different configurations of administrations in the past,” he said. “The friendship and solidity of the relationship between Canada and the United States will continue regardless of whatever happens in the midterms.” Do you enjoy Ottawa Playbook? Maybe you know others who would like it, too. Point them to this link where they can sign up for free.
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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith FTW. | Jeff McIntosh, The Canadian Press | MEANWHILE IN ALBERTA — Alberta Premier DANIELLE SMITH won a provincial by-election race in Brooks-Medicine Hat to lock down a seat in the legislature. She worked digs at Ottawa into her victory speech at the The Mezz Bar & Eatery in downtown Medicine Hat. Confederation has devolved into a “ toxic, divisive parent-child relationship ” under Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU, Smith said before slagging “woke” — a term rooted in Black liberation increasingly co-opted by politicians as a pejorative to own the libs. “I didn’t get into politics to be a diplomat,” Smith said. “I didn’t get into politics to seek the praise of woke columnists or activists in eastern Canada.”
| | | | A message from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Our Trading Future campaign: For Canadians and Americans alike, new challenges have forced us to rethink many of our assumptions about how we do business. Global supply chains are under stress, geopolitical tensions are escalating, and post-pandemic economic recovery continues to be challenging. Amid all of this, it’s midterm season in the United States! In this moment, Canada and the United States must rediscover the depth of our economic and strategic partnership. To learn more, visit Our Trading Future. | | | | | For your radar | |
POLICY PRELUDE — Expect Foreign Affairs Minister MÉLANIE JOLY to drop Indo-Pacific strategy breadcrumbs today — more themes than specific details.
Joly is in Toronto to hype the chattering classes at an event organized by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. The lack of a strategy from Joly’s desk has frustrated businesses, caught in limbo waiting for clear policy signals to guide how they do business in the region. Clues, in the meantime, have dropped from elsewhere. — Reading the weathervane: Recent announcements, such as Ottawa’s order to three companies based in China and Hong Kong to divest from Canadian critical mineral companies , marks a major shift in policy. T-minus three days before Trudeau embarks on a fall junket taking him to Phnom Penh, for the ASEAN Summit, Bali for the G-20 Summit, Bangkok for the APEC economic leaders’ meeting before heading to Djerba, Tunisia for La Francophonie. It’s unclear whether he’s packing a copy of Canada’s revised Indo-Pacific strategy in his carry-on to meetings in the region — or a thematic overview of one yet to come. GREEN GAZE — The federal Greens leadership race is still on (remember that?) and the party hosts a national English-language debate tonight. One topic will force some introspection over party infighting. Cue the eyeball emojis. Six candidates will chew through 120 minutes covering five topics: internal issues and party unity; party relevance and influence; federal climate policy; economy and inflation; and foreign policy. — The candidates: A refresh for the distracted: JONATHAN PEDNEAULT, CHAD WALCOTT, SARAH GABRIELLE BARON, ANNA KEENAN, SIMON GNOCCHINI-MESSIER and former party leader ELIZABETH MAY. — The moderator: Hill Times reporter CHELSEA NASH has been tapped to referee the online debate.
| | | | DON’T MISS A THING FROM THE MILKEN INSTITUTE’S MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA SUMMIT: POLITICO is partnering with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Digital Future Daily" newsletter with insider reporting and insights from the Milken Institute's Middle East and Africa Summit happening November 17-18. Hundreds of global leaders will convene, highlighting the important role connection plays in advancing global well-being. Whether you’re in-person at the event or following online, sign up for this special edition newsletter for daily coverage of the event. SUBSCRIBE TODAY . | | | | | | 
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, president of Ukraine, speaks via video at COP27. | Peter Dejong/AP Photo | DELEGATION INFLATION — Environment Minister STEVEN GUILBEAULT is in Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt for COP27 and Natural Resources Minister JONATHAN WILKINSON is not. Guilbeault has company — lots of it. Roughly 335 members make up Canada’s core delegation to COP27 this year. That’s up from the 276 delegates sent to last year’s meeting in Glasgow. Last week, the U.S. Department of State released the names of senior officials traveling to COP27. Playbook asked Guilbeault’s office for a list of names in advance of an official U.N. list (made public near the end of the conference) and was told one could not be provided, citing security reasons. — Environment and Climate Change Canada eventually confirmed some names: Climate Change Ambassador CATHERINE STEWART, Chief Negotiator STEVEN KUHN, Green MP MIKE MORRICE, NDP MP ALEXANDRE BOULERICE, Bloc MP MONIQUE PAUZÉ, senators MARY COYLE, PATRICIA BOVEY and ROSA GALVEZ. No individual names, but the department said environmental groups are in the mix represented by Climate Action Network Canada, Indigenous Climate Action, Destination Zero, Équiterre, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. — Social media revealed others: RBC executive JOHN STACKHOUSE, Bruce Power’s PAT DALZELL, youth delegate DAVID THIBODEAU, Canadian Nuclear Association President JOHN ARTHUR GORMAN, FinDev Canada CEO LORI KERR. — How COP27 billing works : The government doesn’t cover the bill for all Canadian delegates. “The federal government covers the costs of participation of federal officials and contributes to the cost of participation of up to six Indigenous Leaders and six support staff, six parliamentarians, as well as six youth and six environmental non-governmental organizations. All other participants, while accredited to the Canadian delegation, pay for their own costs,” said department spokesperson CECELIA PARSONS. Parsons added Ottawa is working with delegates “to ensure that carbon emissions associated with traveling to and from COP27 are being offset.” MINISTERS, STILL EVERYWHERE — The PM is in Ottawa. Deputy PM CHRYSTIA FREELAND is in Calgary. Foreign Affairs Minister MÉLANIE JOLY and Justice Minister DAVID LAMETTI are both in Toronto. Tourism Minister RANDY BOISSONNAULT is in Windsor, Ontario. Veterans Affairs Minister LAWRENCE MACAULAY is in Quinte West, Ontario. FinDev Minister FILOMENA TASSI is in Oshawa, Ontario. Transport Minister OMAR ALGHABRA is in Hamilton, Ontario. Innovation Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE is in Saskatoon. Rural Economic Development Minister GUDIE HUTCHINGS is in Whitney, New Brunswick. Women and Gender Equality and Youth Minister MARCI IEN is in Nova Scotia with stops in New Glasgow and Wolfville. Employment Minister CARLA QUALTROUGH is in Ladner, British Columbia. | | FROM THE DESK OF 338CANADA | |
STALEMATE — We are stalled in the status quo, somehow.
We’re not expecting a federal election in the near future, of course — not as long as that Liberal-NDP deal holds. But the latest polls from Research Co. and Abacus Data find the Liberals and Conservatives deadlocked. A little bit of movement in key Ontario ridings looks like the difference-maker. — Read PHILIPPE J. FOURNIER's full analysis of Canada's stubborn electoral map. | | | | A message from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Our Trading Future campaign:   | | | | | TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS | |
— Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU is in Ottawa with plans to get his bivalent Covid-19 booster and flu shot this morning. A meeting of the Incident Response Group is also on his itinerary at an unspecified time to discuss Haiti.
— Deputy Prime Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND is in Calgary to deliver a 5:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. MT) keynote at a Calgary Chamber of Commerce event and fireside chat. 5:45 a.m. (12:45 p.m. GT+2) Environment Minister STEVEN GUILBEAULT holds a press conference at COP27 in Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt to provide an update on the $100-billion climate finance delivery plan. COP27 is the 20th COP that Guilbeault has attended. 10 a.m. Transport Minister OMAR ALGHABRA holds a media availability after a funding announcement at the Port of Hamilton. 11 a.m. Foreign Affairs Minister MÉLANIE JOLY is talking about the Asia-Pacific region at a webinar hosted by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. 11:30 a.m. (8:30 a.m.) Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE holds a media availability at Vancouver’s Parthenon Market, a Greek grocery institution, 30 minutes before it opens. 2 p.m. Heritage Minister PABLO RODRIGUEZ ’s team has picked a Montreal bookstore to announce which booksellers will receive government funding from the Canada Book Fund. He’ll be joined by Liberal MP RACHEL BENDAYAN. 7 p.m. JODY WILSON-RAYBOULD and former cabinet colleague and friend JANE PHILPOTT reunite in Ottawa at a Writers Festival event to promote the former justice minister’s new book , “True Reconciliation: How to Be a Force for Change.” 8 p.m. The federal Green Party holds an English national debate on Zoom. | | PAPER TRAIL | |
CONSPIRACY WATCH — Elections Canada paid Léger Marketing earlier this year to get a sense of voter confidence in their democracy. They found that an overwhelming majority believe the federal agency runs free and fair elections.
But the survey of 2,504 eligible voters between April 25 and May 4 also revealed some eye-popping takeaways. Here are the full results . — Tinfoil time: Two in five respondents believed to some degree that "certain significant events have been the result of the activity of a small group who secretly manipulate world events." One in three was of the view that "experiments involving new drugs or technologies are routinely carried out on the public without their knowledge." Léger asked respondents about several conspiracy theories and split them into three groups: 15 percent held "strong" conspiracy beliefs, 47 percent held "mixed beliefs," and 38 percent had none at all. — Lamestream media: A mere 6 percent of respondents expressed a "great deal of confidence" in mainstream media. Another 45 percent had a "fair amount." Elections Canada was the most trustworthy institution in the poll. 26 percent of voters had a "great deal of confidence" in the agency — yes, just one in four — while 48 percent stopped at a "fair amount of confidence." The combined mark of 74 percent bested police, provincial and federal governments, mainstream media, big business and corporations, and social media platforms. — A pox on all houses: 66 percent of respondents "do not think the government cares about what people like them think." 52 percent told Léger that "politics and government seem so complicated that people like them cannot understand." 43 percent lamented that "all federal political parties are basically the same and do not really offer a choice." — Interest may vary: 80 percent of male respondents expressed an interest in politics, compared to only 61 percent of women. FROM THE TENDERS — Shared Service Canada is shopping for a Right Click Tools subscription for Global Affairs Canada to improve the department’s productivity and security … Transport wants outside help to gauge winter and spring inventories of zero-emission vehicles for sale in Canada … National Defense and the Canadian Armed Forces are looking for a supplier to deliver “innovative solutions” to provide “effective just-in-time medical resupply of common medical equipment and devices in austere environments.” | | | | Tune in as international security leaders from democracies around the world discuss key challenges at the 14th annual Halifax International Security Forum live from Nova Scotia. As an official media partner, POLITICO will livestream the conversation beginning at 3 p.m. on November 18. The full three-day agenda is here . | | | | | | | PROZONE | | For POLITICO Pro s, our latest policy newsletter from MAURA FORREST: Warning signs in America.
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Teresa Brice, a volunteer with Election Protection, outside an Arizona polling center. | David Butow for POLITICO | In news for POLITICO Pro s:
— Republicans to Wall Street: We’re so over you.
— California rejects millionaire tax to fund transition to electric vehicles.
— 5 big economic challenges facing the next Congress.
— Germany ‘skeptical’ of U.S. carbon credit plan.
— Gina McCarthy signs on to coordinate U.S.-India climate policies.
| | | | A message from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Our Trading Future campaign: It is important that we address the elephant (and donkey) in the room. As we have seen this midterm season, protectionism remains a challenge on both sides of the political aisle in the United States. This is economically harmful to ordinary citizens and businesses from both countries and is also strategically short sighted.
Canada and the United States together are facing a time of great uncertainty, but also opportunity. As neighbours and allies, a renewed focus on building trade security and resiliency is of vital interest for Canadians and Americans alike in the current precarious moment.
This is a critical year to strengthen the foundations of the Canada-U.S. relationship by seizing opportunities to deepen our partnerships in areas such as energy security, continental defence, regulatory cooperation, and border management. Visit Our Trading Future to learn more about how we can achieve these shared goals. | | | | | MEDIA ROOM | | — Tory Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE sat down with the National Post for his “first in-depth mainstream media interview since February.” — The Narwhal’s EMMA MCINTOSH delivers: Everything you need to know about DOUG FORD’s plan to cut into Ontario’s Greenbelt. — Economist TREVOR TOMBE joined The Hub’s SEAN SPEER for a conversation both nerdy and weedy about fiscal trends and the Fall Economic Statement. For those who prefer to read rather than listen, the pod comes with a transcript. — Law professor ADAM DODEK writes: It’s time for the Supreme Court, and the federal government, to stand up for the Charter. — TAYLOR OWEN makes his case for C-18 as a valuable stopgap measure: “In this period of transition, it is critical that governments do what they can to support journalists.”
| | PLAYBOOKERS | | Birthdays: HBD to Sandstone’s KEVIN BOSCH … ELIZABETH DOWDESWELL, 29th lieutenant governor of Ontario, is 78 … former premier CLYDE WELLS is 85 … Alberta MLA GRANT HUNTER also celebrates today. Send birthdays to ottawaplaybook@politico.com . Spotted: Trudeau making a cameo on Canada’s Drag Race , “the first world leader to appear on the Drag Race franchise.” Families Minister KARINA GOULD celebrating husband ALBERTO GERONES becoming a Canadian citizen : “I'm so proud of you, Amor.” International Trade Minister MARY NG and Liberal MPs JEAN YIP and MAJID JOWHARI selling the FES to Chinese media at a “ dim sum roundtable ” … Canada Arab Business Council’s MOHAMAD SAWWAF meeting with Transport Minister OMAR ALGHABRA … Canada’s ambassador-designate to Portugal ELISE RACICOT with a Senate delegation represented by Speaker GEORGE FUREY and his chief of staff VINCE MACNEIL, Senators LUCIE MONCION, DAVID WELLS, HASSAN YUSSUF. NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH’s handshake photo receipt with WOLFGANG SCHMIDT, head of the German Chancellery and minister for special affairs. JOHN ECKER, chair of the Ontario Heritage Trust and frequent Playbook trivia player, alongside JODY WILSON-RAYBOULD at the Rotman-hosted launch of her newest book . Movers and shakers: CPC HQ moves: PATRICIA MORRISSETTE joins the party’s Quebec team as political operation manager . Conservative veteran SEAN MURPHY is joining Earnscliffe Strategies as a senior consultant . EMILY WHETUNG-MACINNES, former chief of Curve Lake First Nation, joined Proof Strategies as a senior adviser on Indigenous relations. PAA Advisors' BRANDON PURCELL registered to lobby for a raft of arts-and-culture clients: the Canadian Opera Company, National Ballet, Toronto Symphony and Toronto International Film Festival. Earnscliffe Strategies' LAURA KURKIMAKI and DON STICKNEY are repping Newlight Technologies, manufacturers of a zero-carbon plastic alternative that want to "explore funding opportunities to support expansion plans in Canada." Media mentions: VASSY KAPELOS is leaving CBC News’ Power & Politics to join CTV News on Dec. 1 to host Power Play and Question Period … LEAH GOLOB is joining The Logic as a new fintech reporter … ANDREE LAU adds overseeing CBC News Network to her growing list of responsibilities at the public broadcaster. Send Playbookers tips to ottawaplaybook@politico.com . | | On the Hill | |
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Tuesday’s answer: KIM CAMPBELL was the first-ever female defense minister in a NATO nation.
Props to FRANCIS DOWNEY, TISHA ASHTON, BEN ROTH, JOHN DILLON, NATHAN GORDON, BRIAN GILBERTSON, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, ETHEL FORESTER, NANCI WAUGH, GORDON RANDALL, DOUG RICE, JOHN ECKER and KEVIN COLBOURNE. Wednesday's question: “[He] is the most stubborn and self-opinionated person that I've ever met, completely convinced that he's right in every particular and about every issue. … Other than that, I get on very well with him.” The words belong to the late JOHN CROSBIE. Who was he talking about? Send your answers to ottawaplaybook@politico.com Playbook wouldn’t happen: Without Luiza Ch. Savage and Sue Allan. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |  |
